Merritt to Prince Rupert with a bike

My bike and I are in and we’d like to be in .

We show what transit connections accept bikes. Check with the operator for prices, schedules, and reservations.

Same place twice. You’re already there, so enjoy the ride.

Good news: buses, ferries, trains, rental cars and flights can carry you and your bike from Merritt to Prince Rupert.

For scale

As the crow flies799 km

Biking whole wayno route found

By car1,271 km · 13 h 57 m

We found five ways to get you there.

🎒 Riding a coach? Most BC coach operators want your bike bagged or boxed. Our field note walks through packing it, including an inexpensive packable bike bag we like: How to bike-and-bus in BC ›

Note: Most carriers carry only a handful of bikes, and summer weekends fill up fast. Reserve where you can. Where you can't, go early or have a backup plan.

Option one · three legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule

Grab a window seat, the scenery's included.

CarrierRideYour bike

🚌EbusVancouver – Kamloopsor Ebus (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)) or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary) or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1))Merritt →Kamloops70 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike

🚌EbusKamloops – Prince GeorgeKamloops →Downtown Exch Bay B (Prince George)456 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike

Runs Wed/Fri/Sun toward Prince George and Mon/Thu/Sat toward Kamloops; no service on Tuesdays.

🚆VIA RailSkeena (Prince Rupert – Prince George – Jasper)Downtown Exch Bay B (Prince George) →Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St)591 kmChecked baggage — staffed stations only, including Vancouver BC and Jasper AB$25 per directionE-bikes OK — battery disconnected at check-in

Three departures a week; the trip includes an overnight stop in Prince George (book your own hotel).

🚲You arrive at Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St).

Option two · three legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule

Same as Option one, but a coach bus instead of the train.

CarrierRideYour bike

🚌EbusKamloops – Prince GeorgeKamloops →Downtown Exch Bay B (Prince George)456 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike

Runs Wed/Fri/Sun toward Prince George and Mon/Thu/Sat toward Kamloops; no service on Tuesdays.

🚌BC Bus North (Tahltan NST Busing Ltd.)Prince George – Prince Rupert (Hwy 16 West)Downtown Exch Bay B (Prince George) →Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St)619 kmLuggage bay on the Prince Rupert routeOther routes: bagged or boxed — checked as luggage

Twice a week: Monday and Thursday westbound, Tuesday and Friday eastbound.

🚲You arrive at Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St).

Option three · three legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule

Same as Option one, but a train instead of the coach bus.

CarrierRideYour bike

🚌EbusVancouver – Kamloopsor Ebus (Vancouver – Kelowna) or Ebus (Vancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)) or Rider Express (Vancouver – Calgary)Merritt →Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)230 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike

🚆VIA RailThe Canadian (Vancouver – Kamloops North – Jasper)Pacific Central Station (Vancouver) →Jasper AB541 kmChecked baggage — staffed stations only, including Vancouver BC and Jasper AB$25 per directionE-bikes OK — battery disconnected at check-in

Two departures a week in season; bikes can be checked on and off at Vancouver and Jasper only.

🚆VIA RailSkeena (Prince Rupert – Prince George – Jasper)Jasper AB →Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St)922 kmChecked baggage — staffed stations only, including Vancouver BC and Jasper AB$25 per directionE-bikes OK — battery disconnected at check-in

Three departures a week; the trip includes an overnight stop in Prince George (book your own hotel).

🚲You arrive at Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St).

Option four · five legs⚠ doesn't run every day — check the schedule

A little bit of everything.

CarrierRideYour bike

🚌Rider ExpressVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Merritt →Downtown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie)231 kmRides in the hold — bagged, wrapped, or boxed$50 per bike — non-refundable

🚎TransLink257 Horseshoe Bay ExpressDowntown Vancouver (Dunsmuir at Cambie) →Horseshoe Bay19 kmRack on the bus, free2 bikes — first come, first servedE-bikes OK

⛴️BC FerriesHorseshoe Bay – Departure BayHorseshoe Bay →Departure Bay (Nanaimo)53 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

🚲Travel the short hop from Departure Bay (Nanaimo) to Downtown Nanaimo, about 1.3 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, A.C. Taxi, Yellow Cab Nanaimo might help.

🚙National Car & Truck Rental (Vancouver Island)One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimoor Budget (One-way rental: Port Hardy – Nanaimo) (counter a short ride away on the 20/20A Hammond Bay / Dover)Downtown Nanaimo →YZT (Port Hardy)295 kmOne-way between Island branches — no drop chargeBike rides inside — SUV or minivan, seats folded, wheels offConfirm one-way and vehicle when booking

🚲Travel the short hop from YZT (Port Hardy) to Bear Cove (Port Hardy), about 8 km. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Waivin Flags Taxi might help.

⛴️BC FerriesPort Hardy – Prince Rupert (Inside Passage)Bear Cove (Port Hardy) →Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St)445 kmRoll on, free — no reservation neededE-bikes OK — no charging on board

Sails alternate days, roughly 3–4 sailings a week each way in summer.

🚲You arrive at Downtown Prince Rupert (2nd Ave at 3rd St).

Option five · four legs✈ the splurge

The scenic splurge: hop a flight.

CarrierRideYour bike

🚌EbusVancouver – Calgary (Hwy 1)Merritt →Abbotsford Airport172 kmRides in the hold — bagged or cloth-wrapped (no plastic), or boxed$30 per bike

Runs the same Highway 1 corridor as Rider Express, so compare schedules and fares.

✈️Flair AirlinesAbbotsford (YXX) – Calgary (YYC)Abbotsford Airport →Calgary AB634 kmRides in the hold — boxed, bagged, or wrappedBike feeReserve bike spotNo e-bikes

✈️Flair AirlinesVancouver (YVR) – Calgary (YYC)Calgary AB →Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond)683 kmRides in the hold — boxed, bagged, or wrappedBike feeReserve bike spotNo e-bikes

✈️Air CanadaVancouver (YVR) – Prince Rupert (YPR)Vancouver Airport (YVR) (Richmond) →YPR (Prince Rupert)756 kmBox or sturdy bag requiredBook ahead for your bikeAbout $50 per directionNo e-bikes

🚲At the far end, Central Prince Rupert is about 8.2 km from YPR (Prince Rupert). Ride it, or take a local bus or taxi. If pedalling it doesn't appeal, Skeena Taxi might help.

Route facts last checked August 2026. We check that every leg here carries bikes, but policies and seasons change. Check times and book with the operator. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.

Explore more

Heading back: Prince Rupert to Merritt (best: train + bus)

Connections from Merritt: Kamloops (best: bus) · West Vancouver (best: bus) · Lund (best: bus + ferry) · Haida Gwaii (best: bus + train + ferry)

Connections from Prince Rupert: Terrace (best: train) · Parksville (best: ferry + rental car + bus) · Abbotsford (best: train + bus) · Fernie (best: train + bus)

Check out BC Bike Stops in Merritt and Prince Rupert

To and Fro: moving your bike around British Columbia